Quilted cold-weather garment with a substantially uncompressed interior foam layer

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an improved cold weather garment construction. The construction uses two fabric layers positioned about an intermediate foam layer. To improve range of motion and reduces bulkiness, the three layers are quilted together and the foam is provided in varying thicknesses to match anticipated weather conditions. Additionally, the intermediate foam layer can have a skinned layer adjacent to the exterior layer and a convoluted surface opposite the interior layer.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is continuation in part and claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. nonprovisional application Ser. No. 11/074,303, filedMar. 4, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein bythis reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a cold weather garment. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a multi-layer, quilted garment with asubstantially uncompressed interior foam layer.

BACKGROUND

Through the years, various improvements have been made in the area ofcold weather garments. All cold weather garments to date have sought toprovide adequate insulation against cold temperatures, wind and water,while at the same time allowing for sufficient moisture vaportransmission from the wearer's body. Garments achieving these goals,however, tend to be unattractive and bulky.

One well-known cold weather garment system was developed by theoutdoorsmen J. G. Phillips, Jr. and Sr. and is known as the PhillipsSystem. The Phillips System, which has been in use for over two decades,provides an opened cell foam layer in between interior and exteriorfabric layers. The exterior fabric, or shell, is typically a nylonfabric, and the interior layer is typically a woven or knit lining. Theedges of the garment are stitched together. The resulting constructionis a unitary garment that is effective in cold weather. The drawbacks ofthe Phillips System, however, are that it has poor wind resistance andis bulky. Over the years there have been a number of improvements to thePhillips System.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,847 to Lassiter discloses one such improvement.Lassiter '847 improves upon the Phillips System by convoluting the faceof the intermediate foam layer. The convoluted face is positionedadjacent the inner fabric layer. The convoluted foam increasesflexibility, reduces material and weight and enhances moisture transferby increasing surface area. This System, however, still suffers from theaforementioned problem of bulkiness and, as a result, it often lackssufficient dexterity to perform routine movements.

Another improvement to the Phillips System is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,734,306 to Lassiter. Specifically, Lassiter '306 employs a skinnedfoam layer between the interior and exterior fabric layers. The“skinning” is achieved by forming a thin layer upon a flat surface ofthe foam. The opposite face of the foam can either be convoluted astaught in Lassiter '847 or flat. The use of a skinned foam improveshandling during manufacturing, enhances wind resistance, while at thesame time maintaining sufficient moisture vapor transmission rates.However, although skinned foam facilitates handling duringmanufacturing, it does not remedy the bulkiness inherent to the PhillipsSystem.

Yet another improvement to the Phillips System is demonstrated by U.S.Pat. No. 4,739,522 to Lassiter. Lassiter '522 provides a Phillips-typegarment with increased buoyancy by interspersing a series of polystyrenepellets within an opened polyurethane foam to thereby form anintermediate foam layer with both opened and closed cells. The resultinggarment allows its wearer to keep warm and remain afloat while immersedin cold water. The interior foam can also have a convoluted face astaught by Lassiter '847. Again, this improvement does not address theaforementioned problem of bulkiness.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,303 to Mann improves upon the Phillips System byproviding an exterior layer with low air permeability and high moisturevapor transmission. This increases wind resistance without sacrificingbreathability. Mann teaches a garment comprised of three components, anouter layer of nylon fabric; an approximately one inch thick layer ofsoft and flexible polyurethane open cell foam; and an interior woven orknit lining fabric. The exterior layer can be a woven fabric that isconstructed from a fine denier, multi-filament, synthetic yarn woveninto a high density construction with controlled air porosity andmoisture vapor transport properties. The interior foam layer can beconvoluted as described in Lassiter '847. Again, although Mann '303addresses weather resistance, it is not concerned with the mobility ofthe resulting garment. Mann does not teach or suggest a plurality oflines of stitching securing together the exterior, interior andintermediate layers in a quilt, wherein the plurality of lines intersectone another to form a box stitch pattern upon the garment.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,700 to Reuben teaches an inner lining having adown-fill or down-fill composition disposed within a pouch forming theinner lining, wherein the composition is substantially evenlydistributed throughout the pouch and retained therein in a compressedform. Significantly, the loft of the down-fill composition is reduced byat least twice the normal loft thereof to produce an insulating liningof reduced thickness. By substantially compressing the down-fillmaterial, a thin lining is formed at the expense of the thermalinsulating value, which is substantially compromised. Reuben does notteach or suggest a substantially uncompressed intermediate layer ofopened-celled polyurethane foam.

Thus, although each of the above referenced inventions achieves itsindividual objective, they all suffer from a common problem. Namely,neither the original Phillips System, nor any of its subsequentvariations or other known prior art, address a wearer's dexterity andrange of movement while wearing the garment and, concomitantly, preservesuperior insulating properties of an interior foam layer. In allprevious constructions, a thick intermediate foam layer is providedthroughout the garment that needlessly encumbers its wearer and/or theintermediate layer is substantially compressed in quilting. Therefore,there exists a need in the art to provide a more streamlined garmentthat nonetheless affords sufficient weather resistance and moisturevapor transmission. The invention is directed to overcoming one or moreof the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one of the objectives of this invention to create a coldweather garment affords its wearer increased dexterity and a wider rangeof movement, while not sacrificing cold weather resistance.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a multilayered garmentwherein the multiple layers are quilted together to reduce bulkiness.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a multilayeredgarment in a number of different thicknesses such that users can selecta specific garment based upon anticipated weather conditions.

These and other objectives are achieved by providing a cold weathergarment with an interior layer, an exterior layer, and an intermediatelayer of a polyurethane foam there between. The garment additionallyincludes a plurality of lines of stitching that secure together theinterior, exterior, and intermediate layers into a quilt pattern.

The objectives of the present invention are also achieved by providing acold weather garment formed of an exterior layer of a waterproof and/orwindproof breathable fabric and an interior layer of a mesh fabric. Alayer of an open-celled polyurethane foam is positioned in between theinterior and exterior layers. The intermediate layer has a first flatface disposed adjacent to the exterior layer and a skin formed upon theflat face to enhance ease of construction and improve wind resistance.The intermediate layer also includes a convoluted surface with peaks andvalleys that is disposed adjacent to the interior layer. The convolutedsurface reduces material and weight and improves moisture vaportransfer. A plurality of lines of stitching are provided to securetogether the exterior, interior and intermediate layers as a quilt. Theplurality of lines also intersect one another to form a box stitch.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent andimportant features of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood sothat the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated.Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter whichform the subject of the claims of the invention. It should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and thespecific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis formodifying or designing other structures for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of theinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a quilted cold-weather garment constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the quilted garment taken along line2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3-5 are cross-sectional views of quilted garments employingintermediate layers of varying thicknesses;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a garment constructed in accordancewith an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein theinterior layer has opposing convoluted and skinned surfaces;

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the quilting employed upon the garment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 9 provides a table that shows properties of 12 tested fabrics,wherein fabric 4 is the only multi-layer, quilted garment with asubstantially uncompressed interior open-celled foam layer; and

FIG. 10 provides a plot of thermal conductivities of tested cold weatherfabrics under static conditions; and

FIG. 11 provides a plot of thermal resistances of unknown cold weathercoat fabrics under static conditions; and

FIG. 12 provides a plot of thermal conductivities of the unknown testfabrics under static conditions using liquid nitrogen to reach extremelycold temperatures;

FIG. 13 provides a plot of thermal resistances of unknown test fabricsunder static conditions using liquid nitrogen to achieve extremely coldtemperatures;

FIG. 14 provides a table of calculated thermal conductivities for testedcold weather fabrics;

FIG. 15 provides a table of calculated thermal resistances for unknowncold weather fabrics; and

FIG. 16 provides a table of rankings of fabrics in order of insulatingproperties for both static and sweat tests, based on thermalconductivities.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the figures are notintended to be drawn to any particular scale; nor are the figuresintended to illustrate every embodiment of the invention. The inventionis not limited to the exemplary embodiments depicted in the figures orthe types of footwear, shapes, relative sizes, ornamental aspects orproportions shown in the figures. Similar reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the Figures, in which like parts are indicated with thesame reference numerals, various views of an exemplary quiltedcold-weather garment constructed in accordance with the principles ofthe present invention are shown. The present invention relates to animproved cold weather garment construction. The construction uses twofabric layers positioned about an intermediate foam layer. To improverange of motion and reduce bulkiness, the three layers are quiltedtogether and the foam is provided in varying thicknesses to matchanticipated weather conditions. Additionally, the intermediate foamlayer can have a skinned layer adjacent to the exterior layer and aconvoluted surface opposite the interior layer. The various componentsof the present invention, and the manner in which they interrelate, willbe described in greater detail hereinafter.

With reference now to FIG. 1, a cold weather garment constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention is depicted. Theparticular garment illustrated is a jacket 20. However, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can beused in constructing a variety of garments. By way of non-limitingexample, the garment construction described herein can be used in themanufacture of pants, gloves, hats, and bodysuits. The invention can beapplied to any garment that would benefit from both increasedflexibility and enhanced weather resistance. FIG. 1 further illustratesthe intersecting lines of stitching 22 that give jacket 20 its quiltedconstruction. In the preferred embodiment, a box stitch is employed thatresults in a number of rectangular cells 24 being formed over the entiresurface of jacket 20. FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an individualcell 24 that shows the various layers in the construction.

More specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates the interior 26, exterior 28 andintermediate foam 32 layers of jacket 20. The stitching 22 at theperiphery of cell 24 is also depicted in this Figure. The specificmaterials making up the interior and exterior layers (26 and 28respectively) is next described. In the preferred embodiment, exteriorlayer 28 is constructed from a waterproof and/or windproof breathablefabric. Any of a number of different types of waterproof and/orwindproof breathable fabrics can be employed and those skilled in theart will be familiar with suitable examples. Waterproof breathablefabrics are desirable because they repel water while at the same timeallowing for moisture vapor transmission from the wearer's body to theatmosphere. Thus, while the garment can repel rain it is nonethelessbreathable. Similarly, windproof breathable fabrics provide suitablemoisture vapor transmission while at the same time shielding the wearerfrom high wind conditions. A preferred exterior fabric would have an airpermeability of less than 10 cubic feet per minute per square foot at0.5 inches head of water. The moisture vapor transmission is alsopreferably at least around 1,000 grams per square meter per 24 hrs. Oneexample of a suitable waterproof and windproof material is thepolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fabric constructed by W. L. Gore &Associations of Newark, Del., under the trade name Gore-Tex®. Anothersuitable fabric is made by Burlington Industries, Inc. under the tradename Versatech®.

Unlike exterior layer 28, interior layer 26 need not be windproof and/orwaterproof. The primary purpose of interior layer 26 is to prevent theuser's skin from contacting foam layer 32. Nonetheless, interior layer26 should have a sufficient degree of moisture vapor transmission, sothat moisture from the user's skin can pass through the fabric. Any of anumber of mesh fabrics will suffice and those of ordinary skill will befamiliar with a number of suitable examples. In the preferredembodiment, interior layer 26 is formed from a tricot fabric. Tricot isa plain warp-knitted fabric with a close, inelastic knit. A loosely knitnylon fabric will also suffice.

With continuing reference to FIG. 2, intermediate layer 32 is nextdescribed. Intermediate layer 32 is primarily used to provide insulationagainst cold temperatures. In this regard, intermediate layer 32 ispreferably constructed as a foam layer that is substantially thickerthan either the interior or exterior fabric layers (26 and 28respectively). As described in greater detail hereinafter, the exactthickness of the foam is selected on the basis of anticipated weatherconditions. In the preferred embodiment, intermediate layer 32 isconstructed from a soft, flexible, polyurethane or polyester foam. Asnoted in FIG. 2, the thickness of intermediate layer 32 is reduced atthe point 34 where the stitching 22 joins the three layers (26, 28 and32) together.

FIGS. 3 through 6 illustrate intermediate foam layers of varyingthickness. In the preferred embodiment there are four thicknesses: ⅛ ofan inch (FIG. 3), ¼ of an inch (FIG. 4), ½ of an inch (FIG. 5) and ¾ ofan inch (FIG. 6). The thinner layers would be used in more temperateclimates, while the thickest layers would be used in only the mostsevere temperatures. In this way the user need not wear a garment thatis too thick for the prevailing weather conditions. This allows for thegreatest range of movement and dexterity.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment for intermediate foam layer32. In the alternative embodiment, intermediate foam layer 32 isprovided with a convoluted face 36 adjacent to interior fabric layer 26.Convoluted face 36 is described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No.4,690,847 to Lassiter, the contents of which are incorporated herein byreference. As described in Lassiter '847, the peaks and valleys ofconvoluted surface 36 increase the surface area facing interior fabriclayer 26 to thereby increase the transfer of moisture vapor from theuser's body. The convolutions also serve to reduce the amount of foammaterial used and the overall weight of the garment. The embodiment ofFIG. 7 also includes a skinned layer 38 that is formed on the foamopposite convoluted face 36. Skinned layer 38 is described in greaterdetail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,306 Lassiter, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference. As discussed in Lassiter '306 the skinimproves the garment's wind resistance and facilitates handling whilethe garment is being manufactured.

The preferred stitching arrangement for the garment is next describedwith reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 illustrates the plurality of lines ofstitching 22 that are used to secure together the interior, exterior andintermediate layers (26, 28, and 32) of the garment to form a number ofindividual cells 24 over the surface of the garment. This gives thegarment its quilted construction. Cells 24 serve to improve the overallflexibility of the resulting garment. Users thus have a far greaterrange of motion than they would otherwise have if the garment wasunquilted. In the preferred embodiment, a box stitch is used to quiltthe garment. That is, each of the cells 24 is a rectangle. However, itis within the scope of the present invention to use any other type ofstitching arrangements. For example, the individual cells could becircular, oval or any of a number of geometric patterns.

Importantly, an exemplary quilted cold-weather garment constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention includes anintermediate layer of substantially uncompressed opened-celledpolyurethane foam. The thickness of the foam is selected on the basis ofweather conditions. While the foam is necessarily compressed at thestitching, it remains generally uncompressed within the center of thecells (i.e., “substantially uncompressed”) to provide superior thermalinsulation, moisture vapor transfer and flexibility. Illustrating theuncompressed condition, in one embodiment the intermediate layerincludes a convoluted surface with peaks and valleys disposed adjacentto the interior layer. Substantial compression is disfavored as it wouldcollapse the peaks and valleys, which are key features of Applicant'sconvoluted embodiment, and undesirably compromise the thermal insulatingvalue of Applicant's intermediate layer. Concomitantly, substantialcompression of the intermediate layer would collapse the opened cells inthe foam, which would defeat the purpose of using opened cell foam anddisadvantageously impede moisture vapor transfer while decreasingoverall flexibility. In sum, substantial compression would renderApplicant's garment inoperable or inferior for its intended purpose.

A series of experiments were performed to determine the thermalconductivity and thermal resistance of a series of 12 clothing fabrics,as described in FIG. 9, under a range of cold weather conditions using acold weather test chamber that replicates ASTM standard D 1518-85(2003). Thermal conductivity is a proportionality factor that quantifiesthe efficiency of unidirectional heat transfer per unit area through asubstance. Following the method outlined in ASTM standard D 1518-85(2003), an estimated value for thermal conductivity was calculated. Inthis method, the thermal transmittance of a material is first calculatedusing Equation 1. This equation assumes that thermal conductivity islinear with respect to temperature. From Equation 1 the thermalconductivity is then found using Equation 2. $\begin{matrix}{U = \frac{P}{A\quad\Delta\quad T}} & {{Equation}\quad 1}\end{matrix}$Where:

U=thermal transmittance (W/(m²·° C.))

P=heat flux from test plate (W)

A=area of the copper test plate (m²)

ΔT=change in temperature across the material (° C.)k=(t_(i))(U)  Equation 2Where:

U=thermal transmittance (W/(m²·° C.))

k=thermal conductivity (W/(m^(·)° C.))

t_(i)=thickness of the specimen (m)

Thermal resistance (R-value) is a measure of a material's resistance toheat flow. Mathematically thermal resistance is the thickness of thematerial divided by the thermal conductivity of the material. Thethermal conductivity and thermal resistance of a fabric are of greatimportance when determining the applicability of a fabric in coldweather conditions. A low thermal conductivity means the fabric materialhas a high resistance to heat flow. Therefore, to obtain a given levelof heat flow, materials with lower thermal conductivities can be madethinner. R-value measures the overall effectiveness based on thecombination of the thermal conductivity of the material and itsthickness. Two materials with different thermal conductivities may havethe same R-value if their thicknesses are correspondingly different.Thus, both values are important in designing or evaluating clothingfabrics.

The testing procedure used was based on the procedure described in theASTM Standard D 1518-85 (2003), Standard Test Method for ThermalTransmittance of Textile Materials, with certain changes to better testperformance at extremely cold temperatures. Triple replicate samples of12 code marked fabrics, cut and sewn into the exact same surface area,but with the thickness of the original clothing item were fabricated bythe client. None of the personnel involved in the tests had access to orwere aware of the identification of the 12 fabric samples. This blindtest approach guarantees impartiality in the results.

1. One of the 12 code marked test fabrics, chosen at random, was placedin the test chamber on top of the copper test plate and held down by awooden frame. The wooden frame does not cover any of the area over thecopper test plate.

2. A rheostat controlling the heat blanket was set to around 20% of itstotal 720 W, in order to allow the copper plate to slowly heat to thesteady state desired value. The rheostat was adjusted, depending on theair temperature, to keep the heat blanket at the desired temperature.

3. A block of dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide, CO2) or a beaker of liquidnitrogen (ultra cold tests) was inserted into a basket hanging insidethe test chamber. The use of dry ice facilitates bringing thetemperature of the test chamber down to the desired level. This baskethangs near the air inlet so that when the vacuum pump returns air intothe chamber from the air chiller unit, it blows onto the dry ice block,helping to keep the chamber at a consistent temperature. From this pointon, the air chiller unit was continually used to regulate the testchamber temperature.

4. The final step before data collection was to install the top of thetest chamber; sealing the box.

5. Lab View® Visual Instrumentation software was started for automaticdata collection. Every four seconds, the program measures thetemperatures of 7 thermocouples in the system and logs the data in afile. Any previous data trial is automatically backed up to ensure nodata are lost or erased. Every five or ten minutes, an average of 15points (one minute of data) is sent to a spreadsheet to record theaverage current temperatures of the copper test plate and the airimmediately above the test fabric. Collecting averages ensures precisionin the temperature readings. When these two temperatures begin toapproach the ones necessary for a trial to begin, data is collected morefrequently, every three minutes. The temperature of the test plate mustbe 30° C.±0.5° C. which is approximately 86° F. (simulating humanexternal skin temperature), and the temperature of the air above thefabric is at the predetermined level for that test plus or minus onehalf a degree. The data ranged from −20° C. to −82° C. which isapproximately −4° F. to −115° F. When the system was at steady state for15 minutes the trial was started.

6. To begin the trial, the Lab View® data collection routine was stoppedand restarted in a new file so the pretrial data could be kept separatefrom the trial data. Temperature readings were recorded every fourseconds and placed into this new file.

7. At time “zero”, the heat blanket was turned off. During the hour longtrial, the average temperatures were checked every 20 minutes to makesure the data look reasonable and that the air temperature was beingmaintained at the desired value. After an hour of testing, Lab View® wasstopped, the heat blanket was reenergized, and Lab View® was restartedto collect pretrial data for the next test.

8. When the fabric needed to be changed or more dry ice needed to beadded, the cover was unscrewed and the process continued. Also desiccantused to remove water from the air before it entered the heat exchangerwas replaced when it neared saturation.

During the static tests with dry ice, the temperature of most fabricsdecreased between 8 and 13° C. over the one hour test period. When usingliquid nitrogen for the extreme cold temperatures, the fabrics decreasedas much as 23° C. over the test period. Shorter, bare plate trials wereperformed as calibration tests over the same temperature decrease range.

A set of experiments were performed to ascertain differences in fabricperformance under conditions that might occur during exertion (i.e. ifthe wearer of the garment was sweating). Using a small grid-shaped rackon the under side of the fabric, water was trickled uniformly onto thetest area of the fabric at a rate of 15 ml per hour. This was a flowrate that best simulates the typical sweat generation rate of a humanonto an eight by eight inch square portion of the average person'storso. The “sweat rack” consisted of a series of perforated coppertubes, laid out in a grid arrangement. This arrangement distributed thewater evenly over the entire skin side surface of the test region of thefabric.

The experimental procedure for these tests was identical to that usedfor the static tests, as outlined above with the following exception.When the heat blanket was deenergized, water flow was initiated at thepredetermined flow rate to simulate sweat. The water flow rate wasstopped when the trial was stopped (after one hour) and restarted onlywhen the next trial was begun.

A set of experiments was then run to test the fabrics for their abilityto withstand wind chill. Compressed air was used to experimentally modelwind speeds of 5 and 20 miles per hour in the test chamber. The airinlet for this wind was placed right above the fabric and the air blownstraight across the face of the fabric. These tests used nearly the sameprocedure as described for the static tests with one small difference,when the actual trial data was started, the compressed air was turned toa predetermined setting to give the desired wind speed. This wind speedwas held constant for the hour long trial and if necessary thecompressed air supply bottle was changed out before the next trialbegan. To account for the difference in temperature between the windcoming in and the air in the test chamber, the chiller unit was modifiedso that the air from the supply bottle was routed through the chillerunit before entering the test chamber.

Static experiments were run for each of the three replicates of the 12unknown fabrics at 4-5 different temperatures ranging from 0 to −35° F.using dry ice as the cooling medium. Additional experiments were run foreach of the three replicates of the 12 unknown fabrics at a singletemperature ranging from −97 to −115° F. using nitrogen as the coolingmedium. This ultra-cold test was run so that we could correctly quantifythe relationship between fabric insulating properties and coldtemperatures over the range of −100 to 0° F.

In addition, the density and thickness of each fabric sample was alsomeasured. These are shown in FIG. 9. Equation (1) was then used tocalculate the thermal transmittance “U” for each of the 12 fabrics basedon the experimental test data and the heat flux, “P” found in the bareplate test trials. Equation (2) was then used to find the thermalconductivity “k” and equation (3) to find the thermal resistance “R” ofeach individual fabric. FIGS. 10 and 11 show the thermal conductivityand thermal resistance of each of the twelve fabrics at their actualtest temperatures. As noted above, thermal resistance depends upon boththermal conductivity and thickness.

The best fabric in terms of insulating properties is fabric 4, i.e., afabric according to principles of the invention. From all static testresults, dry and wet, windy or calm, tests clearly showed that thethermal conductivity of fabric 4, i.e., a fabric according to principlesof the invention, is lower than any of the other fabrics tested. Basedupon these data, clothing made from fabric 4 has the potential to havethe best insulating properties. For any given thickness of material, agarment made from fabric 4, i.e., a multi-layer, quilted garment with asubstantially uncompressed interior open-celled foam layer, will resistheat loss the best. Test results are summarized in FIGS. 10 through 16.FIG. 10 provides a plot of thermal conductivities of tested cold weatherfabrics under static conditions. FIG. 11 provides a plot of thermalresistances of unknown cold weather coat fabrics under staticconditions. FIG. 12 provides a plot of thermal conductivities of theunknown test fabrics under static conditions using liquid nitrogen toreach extremely cold temperatures. FIG. 13 provides a plot of thermalresistances of unknown test fabrics under static conditions using liquidnitrogen to achieve extremely cold temperatures. FIG. 14 provides atable of calculated thermal conductivities for tested cold weatherfabrics. FIG. 15 provides a table of calculated thermal resistances forunknown cold weather fabrics. FIG. 16 provides a table of rankings offabrics in order of insulating properties for both static and sweattests, based on thermal conductivities.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims,as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this inventionhas been described in its preferred form with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of thepreferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerouschanges in the details of construction and the combination andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

While an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described, itshould be apparent that modifications and variations thereto arepossible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of theinvention. With respect to the above description then, it is to berealized that the optimum relationships for the components and steps ofthe invention, including variations in order, form, content, functionand manner of operation, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to oneskilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed by the present invention. The abovedescription and drawings are illustrative of modifications that can bemade without departing from the present invention, the scope of which isto be limited only by the following claims. Therefore, the foregoing isconsidered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur tothose skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact construction and operation shown and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents are intended tofall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1. A cold-weather garment comprising: an exterior layer of a waterproof and windproof breathable fabric; an interior layer of a mesh fabric; a substantially uncompressed intermediate layer of an opened-celled polyurethane foam positioned between the exterior and interior layers, the intermediate layer having a first flat face disposed adjacent the exterior layer, the flat face having a skin so as to enhance ease of construction and improve wind resistance, the intermediate layer also having a second convoluted face including peaks and valleys disposed adjacent the interior layer, the convoluted face reducing weight and providing added surface area for moisture transfer; a plurality of lines of stitching securing together the exterior, interior and intermediate layers in a quilt, wherein the plurality of lines intersect one another to form a box stitch pattern upon the garment, the quilting improving the dexterity of the garment's wearer, and improving insulation and water vapor transmission of the garment.
 2. A cold-weather garment comprising: an exterior layer, an interior layer, and a substantially uncompressed intermediate layer of a polyurethane foam; a plurality of lines of stitching securing together the interior, exterior and intermediate layers into a quilt pattern formed from a series of individual cells throughout the garment, the quilt pattern improving the dexterity of the garment's wearer, and improving insulation and water vapor transmission of the garment.
 3. The garment as described in claim 2 wherein the exterior layer is formed from polytetrafluoroethylene fabric.
 4. The garment as described in claim 2 wherein the interior layer is formed from a mesh fabric.
 5. The garment as described in claim 2 wherein one face of the foam layer is convoluted.
 6. The garment as described in claim 2 wherein the face of the foam layer is skinned.
 7. The garment as described in claim 2 wherein the foam is an opened cell polyurethane foam.
 8. The cold weather garment as described in claim 2 wherein the foam is either ⅛, ¼, ½ or ¾ inches thick and wherein the thickness is selected on the basis of anticipated weather conditions.
 9. A cold-weather garment comprising a substantially uncompressed intermediate foam layer formed between interior and exterior fabric layers, the foam being an opened cell synthetic foam; a number of lines of stitching securing together the interior, exterior and intermediate layers, the lines of stitching intersecting one another at multiple locations upon the garment, the intersecting lines of stitching forming a box stitch, the uncompressed foam layer improving insulation and water vapor transmission of the garment.
 10. The cold weather garment as described in claim 9 wherein the foam is ⅛, ¼, ½ or ¾ inches thick and wherein the thickness is selected on the basis of anticipated weather conditions. 